Minnesota shortstop Jorge Polanco will be donning a new pair of cleats when the Twins take the field on Saturday afternoon for the second game of their three-game series in Philadelphia.
It has nothing to do with Polanco playing nine innings in steady rain and on a muddy infield Friday night during the Twins’ 10-4 loss to the Phillies. It has everything to do with his five-hit cycle, just the second in franchise history. Polanco joined Joe Cronin, who accomplished the feat in 1929 with the Washington Senators.
After registering the 11th cycle in team history and first since Michael Cuddyer had one on May 22, 2009, the Twins got a call from the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., requesting Polanco’s cleats to commemorate the accomplishment.
“That’s cool man,” Polanco said. “I feel very grateful to God for the opportunity they’re giving me. They want my cleats in Cooperstown. That’s pretty cool.”
“It’s rare to see something like this,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It was very cool to be a part of it just as a spectator.”
That was one of the few highlights on a cold and dreary night for the Twins, who walked nine batters and also hit a batter, committed three errors and fell behind 5-0 in the first inning.
Rhys Hoskins had three hits and drove in four runs, and Odubel Herrera also had three hits to lead the Phillies. Philadelphia has outscored its opponents 49-26 while scoring five or more runs in each of its first six games for the first time since 1898.
Philadelphia, which has a 4-0 mark at Citizens Bank Park, is 5-1 to start a season for the first time since 2011.
David Robertson, who came into the Friday game with an 18.00 ERA after walking in the winning run Wednesday in a 9-8 loss at Washington, bounced back to blank the Twins in the ninth, allowing one hit while striking out two. Philadelphia’s bullpen allowed just two hits and no runs over the final four innings.
“I saw our bullpen as a strength coming into spring training, and I saw our bullpen as a strength when we left spring training, and I see our bullpen as a strength now,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said.
Minnesota will turn to Michael Pineda (0-0, 0.00 ERA) on Saturday. He will be opposed by Jake Arrieta (1-0, 1.50).
It will be just Pineda’s second start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2017. He pitched four shutout innings in Minnesota’s 9-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out five.
Pineda, who touched 91 mph with his fastball and mixed in an at-times nasty splitter, left after just 40 pitches so that fifth starter Martin Perez could get some work in. The Twins have five off days during the first 15 days of the season.
Pineda said he wasn’t upset that he couldn’t go out for the fifth and pick up the win.
“I’m very happy today,” Pineda told reporters. “It was a big day for me and everybody here because we won the game, you know? But especially for me, because before my start today I hadn’t pitched for a year and a half. I’m very happy.
“I love to pitch, but we had the plan and I’m very happy because right now it’s working. That’s what we want — just win the game and follow the plan.”
Pineda is 1-1 with an 8.68 ERA in two career starts against the Phillies while Arrieta is 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA in five starts against the Twins.
